WOODWORKING QUIZ for 12 Dec 04

[Ralph Jones]

Good Morning Friends,
A fellow wrote and asked the following question;
I need to glue up an oak table top, and want to make sure it not only looks good, but also stays flat.

Should I use the widest boards I can find? And will it look better if they're all the same width?

How would you answer this fellow?

Respectfully,

[Ralph Jones]

Good Evening Friends,
Since no one either saw this quiz or because it was Sunday for you I am going to leave this post on another day. As I know that there are woodworkers who know the answer down there.

Respectfully,

[echnidna]

There's some out here that just cut one 4" thick slice outa a redgum tree thats diameter is suitable for the full width of the table. Nail some legs on and advertise it for a few grand.

We are all waiting to hear how you do it in the good ol US of A.
Coz that seems a real novel idea of making a table top outa narrow boards and sticking them together.

[Wood Borer]

How about using sliding dovetails?

[Termite]

If you are using quarter sawn boards the boards can be fairly wide and remain stable, but very uninteresting as far as grain feature goes.
My choice would be backsawn boards, no wider than 6", with the widest board in the centre and progressivly narrower boards as you go toward the edges, this looks quite good.